Diet

By Emma Young, New Scientist Magazine and Premium Health News Service | January 16, 2013

There's a fuzz in my brain and an ache in my gut. My legs are leaden and my eyesight is blurry. But I have only myself to blame. Besides, I've been assured that these symptoms will pass. Between 10 days and three weeks from now, my body will adjust to the new regime, which entails fasting for two days each week. In the meantime, I just need to keep my eyes on the prize. Fasting is most commonly associated with religious observation. It's the fourth of the Five Pillars of...

Drinking carrot juice, sticking with a low-calorie diet and avoiding egg yolks all seem superhealthy. Not so fast. Nutritionists are warning people that these seemingly healthy eating fads aren't as good as they sound, and they want people to stop jumping on the all-or-nothing bandwagon diets, stat. Following are the health fads that the nutritionists wish you didn't do. Twinkie diet After a nutrition professor lost 27 pounds eating nothing but convenience store foods...

By the editors of Environmental Nutrition, Environmental Nutrition Newsletter and Premium Health News Service | January 2, 2013

Q. Is wheat grass as good for you as they say it is? A. Wheat grass is sprouting up all over--as a "boost" at the neighborhood juice bar, performance enhancer at athletic events and even as the star ingredient of "the wheat grass diet," which promises an abundance of health benefits. But does this grass really deliver, or is it a simple case of the grass is greener? Back to the roots True to its name, wheat grass is the young grass grown from wheat seeds, harvested at the point...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Switching to a diet low in simple sugars and high in healthy fats, like the types found in canola oil, could help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar, according to a new study. People with type 2 diabetes who were advised to follow a diet with a low glycemic index supplemented with extra canola oil had lower blood glucose levels and greater reductions in heart risk than those who ate a diet high in whole grains, researchers...

Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D., may be one of the only dietitians to tell you to eat French fries and chocolate cake. But her advice is sensible and practical when applied within the context of her intuitive-eating principles--a way of eating that emphasizes a healthful mind-set about food vs. focusing on "good" and "bad" foods. A competitive runner who qualified for the 1984 Olympic marathon trials, Tribole's interest in nutrition stemmed from wanting to know what to eat to run faster.

Michelle Obama's initiative to promote a more balanced and healthy diet to children is noble indeed. The problem I have with the initiative is that it appears that the program is foisted upon all the kids instantaneously. On Friday the kids could get a burger or a slice of pizza; on Monday they would be served string beans, lettuce and apples. Nothing wrong with the former , but kids being kids would rather not eat something that they are not in the mood for rather than...

Diets stink, and losing weight is hard work. End of story. Or maybe it's just the beginning. Your new healthy eating habits can start here. Today. To aid all of us who struggle with weight, I'm fanatically on the hunt for not-too-painful tips from those who have lost pounds and, most important, keep them off. Which is why I asked Judy Weitzman for her good ideas. She lost 50 pounds and has not gained it back over the past 30 years. She knows it's not easy. That's why she...

Environmental Nutrition The debate surrounding the weight loss benefits of drinking diet soda -- more specifically, its artificial sweetener content -- is a hot one. Some experts argue that drinking diet soda instead of its sugar-sweetened counterpart can cut calories and support weight loss. Yet emerging research indicates that diet soda is not conducive to weight control. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines reflects this, recommending that noncaloric sweeteners may reduce the intake...

One of the biggest causes of marital unhappiness -- right up there with cheating, sex and money -- is fat. How many husbands are turned off by their wives' thunder thighs and flabby arms? How many wives are repulsed by their husbands' potbellies and love handles? How many divorces are caused by saggy butts and double chins? Caitlin weighed 125 when she married Matt. Her gynecologist recommended that she gain 10 pounds if she wanted to get pregnant. It worked. "Then I pigged out...

Inflammation is a term that's commonly used but poorly grasped. "Think of inflammation as irritating chemicals that are released by your immune cells, producing swelling, redness, and pain," says Susan Blum, M.D., M.P.H., author of "The Immune System Recovery Plan" (Scribner, 2013). "When the immune system is triggered to release inflammatory chemicals in an ongoing way, damage occurs, and health problems can show up in any part of the body." This long-term...

Environmental Nutrition At one time, if your mother had cancer, your genetic destiny for this disease seemed to be etched in stone. At least that was the old way of thinking about genetic predisposition for diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. But there's been a paradigm shift in the way experts understand our inherited genetic profile, according to Roderick H. Dashwood, Ph.D., who spoke on genetics and nutrition at the 10th Annual Nutrition and Health...

Q: I read that people who suffer from migraines should avoid sour cream, yogurt, nuts and peanut butter. Is that true? A: This may be true for some people with migraine. But the foods you mention are not on the usual list of the ones to avoid. The foods and drinks well known to trigger headaches include: 1. Red wine. Of all alcoholic drinks, this one most often triggers a headache. Red wine contains the amino acid tyramine, which causes headaches in sensitive...

The way people talk about their weight-loss plans — to others and to themselves — can make a huge difference in their success or failure, dietitians say. Here are some strategies: Avoid "should" and "have to" statements. Saying "I shouldn't eat fries" or "I have to eat some chocolate" will make you feel deprived or out of control. If you're "choosing" not to eat the food, you have more power and less guilt. Don't say you're "on a diet. " Look at good eating as a...

(Reuters) - Vivus Inc said on Friday drugmaker Actavis Plc plans to market a generic version of Vivus's obesity drug Qsymia that was approved in July 2012. Actavis had already filed a U.S. marketing application for the generic version of the diet pill, according to a notice sent by the generic drugmaker on May 7, Vivus said. Qsymia, one of the first obesity drugs to receive U.S. approval after 13 years, has disappointed investors with poor physician adoption and low sales. ...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Second baseman Gordon Beckham arrived Saturday at the Chicago White Sox's spring training facility less bulky than last year. "I feel good about where I'm at," Beckham said. "I came into the end of spring training last year weighing 205. I weigh 198 this year, and I feel leaner. I just feel more athletic than I did last year. I kind of needed to lose some pounds when I got here, honestly. I felt heavy, in terms of what I always felt, so I feel really lean...

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - How do they do it? How do polar bears have such an incredibly high fat diet and get so fat - munching as they do on blubbery seals - without clogging their arteries and becoming a big furry heart attack waiting to happen? The answer: "bear necessities," genetically speaking. Scientists unveiled a thorough genetic analysis of the polar bear on Thursday and compared it to its closest cousin, the brown bear. They found that since...

Certain people and situations can derail the best diet and exercise intentions. But you can overcome them, says Dr. Thomas Clark, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of the Center for Weight Loss Success in Newport News, Va. Here's how: Don't get in your own way. You're in control of your behavior. Erase the word "can't" from your self-talk: It's not that you can't exercise or eat right, but that you won't. Change that. Be assertive with family and friends. The...

By Allison Bond NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a large U.S. study of men and women with a heart attack in their past, those who had upped their fiber intake the most afterwards had the lowest risk of death. The pattern held true even after researchers accounted for medications that lower cholesterol, suggesting itâs important not to rely just on drugs to cut future risks, the authors said. âThere are additional benefits that come...

Dear Amy: I am 15 years old. I have recently become a vegetarian for several reasons (mostly that I disagree with beef-production methods). My mom is slightly overweight, but certainly nothing bad. She recently decided to become vegetarian as well, but I suspect she is doing so because she thinks it will help her lose weight. I am very health conscious, enjoy fruits and vegetables, and believe in well-rounded meals. Is it possible for a mom to be anorexic? She seems to take...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A commercial diet plan that includes prepackaged foods, menu plans and access to counselors was better at helping people with type 2 diabetes shed pounds than a typical diet, according to a new study. What's more, people who took part in the commercial diet plan had better blood sugar control after a year. "I think this should be a huge ray of hope for people that lifestyle changes are possible and there are some things that don't...